One of the things that is wrong with Sri Lanka’s politicians is that they have been consumed by the misguided notion that they can play God and are not answerable to the public or the country’s law for their actions. Based on that notion, they attempt to enjoy unlimited freedom and power they do not have, and that is the nature of Sri Lanka’s political culture.
Against this backdrop was a good move, wherein last week, Moratuwa Mayor Samanlal Fernando was remanded till 11 June for interrupting the duties of medical professionals at a vaccination centre and for violating quarantine regulations in broad daylight. Social media platforms were flooded with the video of the incident, and his reprehensible behaviour caused public furore, both at the scene and in society.
However, to make matters worse, during the incident, the Mayor attempted to force the medical professionals to give priority to a group of people he had selected, saying that it is the way a famous minister does things (vaccination) in Kurunegala. His statement implied that what he did was not a solitary incident, and that it is happening in other parts of the country too, under the patronage of politicians who are of the impression that their powers are unlimited.
This is also not the first time the country’s rulers came under fire for their alleged unwarranted interferences in Covid-19 management efforts. Early this month, Piliyandala-based Minister Gamini Lokuge publicly stated that after the Piliyandala Police Area was placed under lockdown for the first time, he had “informed the health authorities of the ground-level situation”, after which the lockdown in some parts in the area was lifted. Even though this incident began a discussion on social media and among medical professionals, thus far, no concrete statement has been issued as to the basis on which the lockdown was lifted. However, Covid-19 cases in the Piliyandala area increased in the few weeks that followed, raising concerns as to whether the lifting of the lockdown was the reason behind it.
First and foremost, Sri Lanka’s politicians have always shown that they are ill-equipped to discern the difference between a rightful intervention and an unlawful interference. Due to this, they have developed a habit of putting their nose in anything that happens in their vicinity, even if their intervention means derailing a national-level vaccination programme that concerns the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.
In the said two cases, the opinions of healthcare workers, who know best when it comes to the process of identifying and administering the vaccine on the people who are at risk, were ignored in the most discourteous manner, and the people who had been identified as more qualified to receive the vaccine before others, faced difficulties. They acted as if they had more powers and knowledge than anyone, when in reality what they displayed was not power but utter idiocy.
The vaccination drive faced “priority list” issues since the beginning, and certain media reports have claimed that there were priority lists and queues that received more priority than the actual priority lists prepared by the health authorities based on age, likeliness of being exposed to the virus, and health conditions of the people. Due to some of these illegitimate priority lists, there were also times the people had to return home without getting vaccinated, after spending the whole day at vaccination centres.
Management of the Covid-19 pandemic is a collective process, and the relevant parties failing to fulfil their responsibilities is not the only factor that can derail this process. Much greater damage can be done by those who think that their role in this process is an all-encompassing, superior one.
That is what happened in the two aforementioned incidents and is happening in other parts of the country where personal relationships supersede scientifically determined criteria for the vaccine. Moreover, these undue interferences emphasise that choosing the best person for the job is not adequate and that a suitable environment should be created for the best person to perform their duties.
Sri Lanka is not even halfway through the vaccination drive, and the majority of the population has not even seen the vaccine yet. If this is how we as a country start the vaccination process, needless to say, there is a very big possibility that the future of the vaccination drive may also be disrupted by the politicians and high-ranking officials who think that they are high and mighty. Also, almost all the time, they are backed and protected by people of higher positions, and law enforcement seldom succeeds in stopping these big fish.
The vaccination drive is not a process anyone should be allowed to meddle with, and Sri Lanka has to vaccinate at least 16 million people in the coming few months. Therefore, putting an end to any act that may jeopardise the success of the vaccination drive should be a priority. Good move, now bigger fish
31 May 2021
Good move, now bigger fish
31 May 2021
One of the things that is wrong with Sri Lanka’s politicians is that they have been consumed by the misguided notion that they can play God and are not answerable to the public or the country’s law for their actions. Based on that notion, they attempt to enjoy unlimited freedom and power they do not have, and that is the nature of Sri Lanka’s political culture.
Against this backdrop was a good move, wherein last week, Moratuwa Mayor Samanlal Fernando was remanded till 11 June for interrupting the duties of medical professionals at a vaccination centre and for violating quarantine regulations in broad daylight. Social media platforms were flooded with the video of the incident, and his reprehensible behaviour caused public furore, both at the scene and in society.
However, to make matters worse, during the incident, the Mayor attempted to force the medical professionals to give priority to a group of people he had selected, saying that it is the way a famous minister does things (vaccination) in Kurunegala. His statement implied that what he did was not a solitary incident, and that it is happening in other parts of the country too, under the patronage of politicians who are of the impression that their powers are unlimited.
This is also not the first time the country’s rulers came under fire for their alleged unwarranted interferences in Covid-19 management efforts. Early this month, Piliyandala-based Minister Gamini Lokuge publicly stated that after the Piliyandala Police Area was placed under lockdown for the first time, he had “informed the health authorities of the ground-level situation”, after which the lockdown in some parts in the area was lifted. Even though this incident began a discussion on social media and among medical professionals, thus far, no concrete statement has been issued as to the basis on which the lockdown was lifted. However, Covid-19 cases in the Piliyandala area increased in the few weeks that followed, raising concerns as to whether the lifting of the lockdown was the reason behind it.
First and foremost, Sri Lanka’s politicians have always shown that they are ill-equipped to discern the difference between a rightful intervention and an unlawful interference. Due to this, they have developed a habit of putting their nose in anything that happens in their vicinity, even if their intervention means derailing a national-level vaccination programme that concerns the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.
In the said two cases, the opinions of healthcare workers, who know best when it comes to the process of identifying and administering the vaccine on the people who are at risk, were ignored in the most discourteous manner, and the people who had been identified as more qualified to receive the vaccine before others, faced difficulties. They acted as if they had more powers and knowledge than anyone, when in reality what they displayed was not power but utter idiocy.
The vaccination drive faced “priority list” issues since the beginning, and certain media reports have claimed that there were priority lists and queues that received more priority than the actual priority lists prepared by the health authorities based on age, likeliness of being exposed to the virus, and health conditions of the people. Due to some of these illegitimate priority lists, there were also times the people had to return home without getting vaccinated, after spending the whole day at vaccination centres.
Management of the Covid-19 pandemic is a collective process, and the relevant parties failing to fulfil their responsibilities is not the only factor that can derail this process. Much greater damage can be done by those who think that their role in this process is an all-encompassing, superior one.
That is what happened in the two aforementioned incidents and is happening in other parts of the country where personal relationships supersede scientifically determined criteria for the vaccine. Moreover, these undue interferences emphasise that choosing the best person for the job is not adequate and that a suitable environment should be created for the best person to perform their duties.
Sri Lanka is not even halfway through the vaccination drive, and the majority of the population has not even seen the vaccine yet. If this is how we as a country start the vaccination process, needless to say, there is a very big possibility that the future of the vaccination drive may also be disrupted by the politicians and high-ranking officials who think that they are high and mighty. Also, almost all the time, they are backed and protected by people of higher positions, and law enforcement seldom succeeds in stopping these big fish.
The vaccination drive is not a process anyone should be allowed to meddle with, and Sri Lanka has to vaccinate at least 16 million people in the coming few months. Therefore, putting an end to any act that may jeopardise the success of the vaccination drive should be a priority. Kapruka
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Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!